Time
by Outtie
Summary: An alternate ending to season three where Zelena succeeds in traveling back in time.
1. WICKED WINS

CHAPTER ONE - WICKED WINS

A heroic party consisting of Emma, Regina, Prince Charming, Captain Hook and Robin Hood rushes towards the barn to stop Zelena and rescue the newborn prince. But when they enter the barn...

"Where is she?" Charming cried. Not seeing the witch he lowered his sword and ran to his infant son who appeared to be safe and sound despite whatever Zelena had just put him through.

"Where's the witch!?" Regina rumbled.

"You're too late." an angry voiced hissed from beyond the glow of the time portal. The party looked through the green smoke and saw a very rumpled Rumplestiltskin chained to the back wall of the barn. "Release me!" he hissed. "RELEASE ME NOW!"

"Can't you free yourself?" Regina groused. "I can see my dear sister left your precious knife behind her... is that a golden dog collar you're wearing?"

"She put a spell on the chains before she left. I can't remove them!" he said, before adding in a heartbreaking plea directly to Regina, "I need your help. But you must hurry! The portal will only stay open as long as I can hold it open!"

"So you're holding the portal open" Emma said, "I knew there had to be a reason it didn't close the moment she walked through."

"YES! I am! And it is EXTREMELY taxing on even my powers to do so." He turned back to Regina and repeated his plea, "Please, release me!"

Regina's eyes narrowed. "What's in it for me? The witch is gone and we..." she looked at Emma, "...are still here, so I can only assume that Zelena's plan failed."

"Perhaps she changed her mind?" Robin offered, "Realized that time is not a thing to be tampered with..."

Regina gaped openmouthed at Robin Hood's innocence, "The woman sent Gold to threaten your son and tried to rip my heart out of my chest!"

"Yet, my son lives and is well and there..." he pointed, "is your heart, which looks none the worse for wear."

"A resilient heart..." Emma murmured, adding more loudly, "That's what Belle said. She 'uh, read it in a book somewhere."

Regina was still hesitant to attempt to break Zelena's spell over Gold. Every time she'd gone up against her sister she'd lost.

Charming noticed Regina's reluctance and passed his son to Robin Hood, then he grabbing his sword, now fully re-stored he hurried to Gold's side to free him, but repeated blows from his sword proved useless.

"I told you the chain has a spell on it!" Rumple reminded him; "It will take more than a piece of metal to break it." he turned to Regina, "You'll have to do it, Regina."

"Me? But I can't! Her magic is stronger than my magic!" Regina said, sounding defeated.

"Only if you use dark magic." he reminded her. "Zelena's magic is very powerful, truly, but it is also extremely ...vulnerable to ...to light magic." Rumple's voice began to crack as holding the portal open continued to drain his strength.

Regina looked at Emma, "I can't do it! You need to have a light heart to use light magic and mine's as dark as they come."

"That's not true." Emma said, "Because _I know _how muchyou love Henry. You used 'true love's kiss' to free Storybrook! I know you have a spot of light growing inside you, Regina. Just find it and channel it all at freeing Gold because we have to stop Zelena before she can kill my grandmother, because if she does than my whole family, _including Henry_ could cease to exist!"

Regina stumbled forward, her face showing pain. "She's already won, Emma. I can feel myself fading... My magic is the only thing holding me together! If I use it..."

"Stop whining and save Gold!" Emma yelled, "He's the only one who can..."

Emma's last words hung in empty space. She was gone. Hook screamed, "No!" and ran to the empty space so recently occupied by Emma. Robin and Charming looked at each other in shock. Then the baby prince disappeared too. Right out of Robin Hood's arms. Charming's eyes filled with tears. He sank to the earth in despair.

Only Regina, Charming, Hook and Robin remained and Regina was beginning to look transparent. With her last fading strength Regina sent out a wave of love towards Gold. Her love of Henry hovered heavy over the air as she too winked out of existence.

But her last gasp of magic had done its work. The chains dropped from Rumple's wrists and he fell to the ground. "Thank you Regina" he whispered. Then he turned his head to look at his dagger and magic'd it swiftly across the floor into his hand. He then staggered to his feet, shook his unruly hair out of his face and dove headfirst into the portal.

"Gold... wait!" Hook cried irritably; immediately following him into the rapidly shrinking portal.

"Hey!" Robin cried, "You're not leaving us behind lads!"

Without a single second to waste, Robin Hood stepped into the portal pulling the weeping Charming behind him just as the portal closed.


	2. RETURN TO GOLD

CHAPTER TWO - RETURN TO GOLD

Robin Hood landed in a smooth tucked roll, barely missing Hook's head with his right boot. Hook wasn't as lucky the next time as the prince collapsed right on top of the dashing pirate just as he was starting to rise from his knees.

Nobody said time travel was easy.

Robin helped the other two to untangle themselves and get back on their feet and immediately the three men looked around for Rumpelstiltskin who was easy to spot seeing as he was once again golden hued and only about 20 yards away having a fit of murderous rage at a ficus.

Charming wiped his eyes on his shirt and advanced on The Dark One, who happened to be the one and only man who might be able to explain what just happened.

"Our families have disappeared out of existence! Do you really think hacking at that plant with a cursed dagger is going to bring them back?"

"No!" Rumple rumbled.

"Well unless Zelena opened a time portal with the sole purpose of changing herself into a fern, I hardly see how your current behavior will help you achieve your ends."

Rumple lowered his dagger arm and visibly tried to reign in his emotions, "You're right there ...Charming." he said, rolling the syllables of Charming's name around in a way that was either mocking or as Charming chose to see it, very nearly affectionate. "What I need," Rumple continued, "is to FIND Zelena and make sure she pays for what she did."

"_After_ we find a way to stop her from doing whatever it is she did or does or did/does in the past that makes all our loved ones disappear... right?"

"_Charmingly_ put." Hook chimed in, subtly keeping Robin Hood between himself and his old enemy as they joined the other too by the now ragged ficus.

"Please, Dark One" Robin Hood pleaded, "Will you help us to save our loved ones?"

"Are we too late?" Charming asked.

Rumple sighed irritably, evidently he was to be stuck with this trio unless he chose to turn them all into snails_... hmmm_. He slid his dagger into a hidden pocket in his coat. "No." he said, "If Zelena's magic worked as she claimed it would than we should have come through only a few minutes after her. Unfortunately as you can see, she seems to have used magic to travel somewhere _else_ before we arrived and I have had somewhat ...limited luck in tracking where she went."

Hook laughed, "All that power and the crocodile can't even find his prey."

Rumple bristled, "I WILL find Zelena and I certainly don't need the help of a _pirate_ to do it!"

Hook shank back a bit behind Robin Hood.

"We'll ALL find her" Charming stated firmly, "Together." he looked from thief, to pirate, to Dark One and added, "We've ALL got family tied up in this in one way or another. Now let's stop squabbling amongst ourselves and get out there and fight for our families!"

"Here here" Robin cheered, "But how do we find this witch?"

"Presumably, we just ask around to see if anyone _green_ has been seen in the vicinity." Hook quipped, gesturing to the Dark One's returned love for gold tones.

"...And how do we capture her when we find her?" Charming asked, ignoring Hook's remark.

"You let me worry about that _pesky_ little detail." Rumple said. "As for finding her, I propose that we try thinking like her and after spending that last age locked in her cage as her personal... _pet_ ...I think I can manage that. Zelena wanted to change her past. Specifically she wanted to make sure that _her mother_ never abandoned her and she believed the best way to achieve that aim, was to kill Princess Eva before she could interfere with her mother's royal marriage."

"We know, she planned on killing Snow's mother; which is why Snow and Emma disappeared." Charming stated the obvious.

"And with Cora marrying Prince Leopold instead of that empty-headed Henry, dear old Regina won't have existed either." Rumple added, nodding towards Robin Hood.

"So to find her, all we have to do is find Eva." Charming said.

Rumple sighed again, "No. To find Zelena, we must find Cora. The season is still summer, she has months to kill Princess Eva before she can interfere in her mother's wedding plans. I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend the next three or four months following Snow White's mother around her castle waiting for Zelena to show up. No no, Zelena will run strait for Cora so that she can finally meet her precious mother..." he paused, then added, "If she _only knew_ Cora as well as I did than she'd realize that Cora did her a favor by abandoning her. She was no prize as a mother. As Regina probably told you all ready."

"The Dark One's right. Which is not something I enjoy saying," Hook admitted. "We should find Cora."

Charming turned to Rumple, "Do you know where Cora was at this point in her life?"

"If memory serves, she was a miller's daughter and she spent most of her days before _I_ met her grinding flour for her drunken lout of a father or serving swill beer to degenerates in a bar."

"Oh, perhaps we've met." Hook chimed in.

"Now is not the time Hook" David said, silencing the pirate and turning back to Rumple to ask him to take them to Cora's bar, "Rump..."

Rumple immediately silenced David with a magic choke-hold.

"Do not under any circumstances," he said, "Say _my_ _name_ aloud_ here_."

He released David from the choke hold with a minor gesture.

David rubbed his throat and croaked out something that sounded vaguely like, "ok."

"Names..." Rumple continued, flourishing his arms in a theatrical manner, "...have power. Here much more so then back in _Storybrook_ and I think," he said, "that the last thing any of you wants is for my former, less... _personable_ self, to show up and demand to know what's going on."

"That..." Hook said, pointing at Gold, "sounds like an excellent plan to me."

"Perhaps we should then choose another name to call you by?" Robin said to Rumple.

"He's right" David chimed in, "We can hardly wander around The Enchanted Forest calling you Dark One..." he paused, "actually we really can't wander around here at all with you looking like that." he rubbed the skin on his own arm to remind Rumple that he was once again a golden man, "Not to mention the, uh... voice."

Rumple stopped looking at his golden fingernails in annoyance, "and what's wrong with my voice all of a sudden?"

"It has, 'er... _risen_ a bit since we came through the time portal." David said carefully.

"And then there are the clothes." Robin added. "We shall all need new garments here if we wish to blend in."

"Fine!" Rumple said irritably. He flourished his hand over David, Hook and Robin, "A glamour spell." he said.

"But we look exactly the same!" Hook complained.

Rumple produced a mirror. "Only to each other." he explained, "to everyone else you will look like this... he showed them their new forms in the small mirror. All three were dressed as peasants with plain dirty clothes and even plainer and dirtier faces. Rumple however they noticed, was dressed in fine gold brocade.

David looked at his and Hook and Robin's clothes with approval, but to Rumple he said, "A prince? I thought the point was NOT to be noticed?"

Hook scratched his face with his hook, "You might want to tone down the gold mate." he said. "If this bar is indeed the den of iniquity you say it is, then a prince of such... regal bearing may attract the wrong kind of attention."

Rumple rolled his eyes, but tacitly acknowledged that they had a point by running his hands down his jacket which turned from gold brocade into a somewhat more subdued, but still rather dapper suit of clothing. "Better?" he grumbled.

"Much" David said, cracking a small smile and bravely clapping the most powerful wizard who ever lived on the back.

"Now that we're all properly attired..." Rumple said, preparing the magic that would transport them to where they needed to go, "...let's go pay Cora a visit shall we?"


	3. THE TALE CHANGES

CHAPTER THREE - The Tale Changes

"Are we there yet?" Hook asked as they poofed into a field adjacent to a small rural village. Rumple didn't bother to answer. He just started walking, obviously expecting the three 'peasants' to follow their master in an acceptably servile manner.

The sun was just beginning to set as they arrived in a particularly foul smelling ally behind the local tavern, which was easily identified by the sounds of drunken merriment emanating from within. Hook opened the door and bowed slightly to Rumple, "After you... _your highness_" Hook said with a mocking gesture, as Rumple preceded the others into the tavern.

_"Jonathan?!" _

"It's certainly a familiar sort of place." Robin offered from his post by the door.

"Been here before have you?" Hook asked.

"Not here exactly" Robin said, "But it's hardly my first tavern."

"Well is the witch here or not?" Hook asked. Rumple motioned to him to be silent. "She's sitting in the corner over there" he inclined his head slightly to the right, "But do NOT attract her attention until we have some kind of plan in place to entrap her."

"A plan that _won't_ otherwise interfere with history." David cautioned.

The four men made their way to the bar, deliberately not looking at Zelena. "Do you see Cora yet?" David asked. "Don't look at me" Hook replied, "I never knew Cora in her fertile years." David waved him off, "I wasn't talking to you" he said, looking at Rumple.

_"Jonathan!" _

"No I don't see her yet." Rumple answered them, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"Knew her well did you?" Hook leered.

"Did she tell you I did?" Rumple countered defensively.

"Not in so many words," Hook began, "But she certainly intimated that there'd been a certain... intimacy between you once upon a time." he shrugged, "Cora loved to be cryptic and she liked to keep her dark little secrets... hide her emotions... I'm sure you know the type." he said looking pointedly at Rumple.

"Jonathan! I'm so happy I finally found you!" the tavern's serving wench grabbed Rumple by the collar and pulled him in deep and lasting kiss.

If Hook, David and Robin were surprised they at least managed hide it better than Rumple, who appeared to be frozen in shock. Either that or the wench was stronger than she looked. "Do you _know_ him?" David asked the wench.

"Of course I know him!" the wench replied, "We're going to be married." She turned to Rumple, "Oh, do forgive me for speaking our secret in front of your servants, my lord." she said, "But when I awoke to find you gone I feared that... that you were not as true in your affections as I'd believed, but now I see I was foolish to doubt you! O, come here and kiss me my love!" the wench kissed him again. The Dark One remained speechless.

"Um, excuse me, Miss..." David tapped the wench's shoulder causing her to momentarily stop ravaging the Dark One. "Your name wouldn't be... Cora? by any chance?"

"Your prince spoke of me to you!" she turned once again to Rumple, "I'm so relieved to see that you trust your servants with so great a secret, my love. They must love you nearly as much as I do... speaking of which..." she smiled saucily, "My bed is getting cold my love, perhaps you would care to warm it with me once again." she started to pull Rumple bodily towards the stairs.

David stopped her by placing his hand on her arm and asking for a moment alone with 'the prince' who he promised would meet her upstairs in a few minutes. Once Cora was safely occupied in filling tankards behind the bar, the boys huddled up for a little group meeting on what the heck they were going to do now.

"I had no idea you knew Cora as well as this, mate." Hook beamed with ill suppressed laughter.

"That woman doesn't even know who I am!" Rumple raged, finally finding his voice. "She sees what she wants to see!" the confused faces of his unwanted companions forced him to explain, "Part of the magic in a glamour spell is that if a person _wishes_ to see a certain person badly enough than the magic will let them see who they want to see. Especially if that person has magic in their blood, however dormant that magic might be, and Cora has a great deal of magic flowing through her veins. She just hasn't discovered that yet."

"So Cora wanted to see this Jonathan so badly that she..." Robin began.

"Imprinted her desire onto my spell and made me out to be the man she loves... What a revolting development this is." Rumple finished.

"All magic comes with a price, 'eh?" Hook mocked.

"Keep your voice down" Robin cautioned, "The witch is looking this way."

David looked at Rumple and said quietly, "Look just go with the flow and let her take you upstairs. That should distract Zelena and give us a chance to surround her."

"And then what?" Rumple asked, "Do you think after all she's done to get here that Zelena will just give in and go home?! Even without my dagger, she is still the most powerful witch I've ever trained and once she knows that I ... that WE are here, SHE will have the upper hand."

"What is your plan, Dark One?" Robin asked.

"We need to get Zelena alone somewhere." Rumple said, "Somewhere where I can focus all her attention on fighting _me_, while the three of _you_ sneak up behind her and yank off her pendant."

"What do you want her bloody pendant for?" Hook asked.

"Because," Rumple said irritably, "All her power is stored in that pendant. Without it she's only an ordinary woman."

"I like that plan!" Hook offered.

"Ok" David said, "That sounds like a plan... now how do we get her out of here?"

"If she has come here to see her mother than it is unlikely that she will leave until she has." Robin said.

"Or ...until her mother goes someplace that she can't decently follow!" David exclaimed, "Rum...'er _Prince Jonathan_, I think you should take Cora upstairs and keep her busy the tavern closes..."

"I'm not going upstairs with that woman!"

"Quietly please, gentlemen" Robin cautioned them all, "Zelena is looking this way again."

"Look" Hook said, "The way I see it, if we want to get rid of the witch, then why not beat her at her own game... she wants to kill Snow's mother and make sure that Snow and Regina ...and Emma were never born..."

"No. We're NOT killing anyone!" David said firmly, "not even Cora."

"_Especially_ not Cora," Robin interjected forcefully, "She is Regina's mother as well you know and I cannot stand by and allow anyone to erase her from history."

"Did I say we were, mate?" Hook asked, "I _meant,_ why don't we arrange things so that_ Zelena_ was never born. Wouldn't THAT solve all our problems?"

"How do you plan on doing that?" David asked.

"WITHOUT killing Cora." Robin repeated firmly.

Hook scratched his chin with his hook, though anyone else in the tavern would only see a normal, if dirty hand thanks to Rumple's glamour spell (though Hook had to wonder where the glamour was for them), "We could conk her on the head and stash her somewhere for a year or so..."

"No no," Rumple said rejecting that plan, "Time is a delicate flowing river. We can't risk changing Cora's past so completely that we change our own futures."

"Could be for the better." David muttered, remembering the pain his wife had gone through after Cora's... passing. "What about that squid ink, you remember the stuff that freezes magic creatures..."

Rumple looked irrritably at Charming, "I remember." he patted his sides dramatically, "Sorry, I think I left it in my other coat... you do realize that I have spent the last year of my life as a slave to the witch who murdered my son! And before that I was dead for some time, so forgive me if I'm a bit behind on my ink collecting.

"Ok, so we'll just go with my plan and prevent the witch from being born." Hook said, "Simple..."

"And how do we know her parents haven't 'er... 'met' already?" David asked delicately. "I mean, it certainly sounded like Cora was already pretty '_familiar'_ with you..." Rumple gave him a decidedly icy stare. "...with the person she's _mistaken you_ for."

Rumple sighed resignedly, "There is a spell I could cast to find out if she's already in the family way." he said, "But I would need a strand of her hair to do it."

"To bad you didn't think to grab one while she was embracing you earlier." Hook quipped.

"Indeed."

"Well," Hook said, "if it turns out that Cora _is_ still unboarded, we could try and beat her old man to the harbor... if you follow my meaning." Hook said.

"What?" David replied for the group.

"I mean one of us could go and purposely get old Cora here into trouble before the other guy has a chance. Zelena can't be born if her mother's womb is otherwise occupied at the time, now can she?"

"Diabolical" Rumple murmured, "and worth a shot." he looked at Hook, "If you'll just hold still..."

"What are you doing!" David asked as magic began to form in Rumple's upturned palm.

"I'm going to enchant the pirate's 'er, sword... to ensure conception."

"You can do that?!"

"How did you think I collected all those children to trade to rich barren monarchs?" Rumple asked, "One kind of magic to ensure conception, another to ensure barrenness. I assure you it gave me quite the lucrative trade."

"You're such a giver." David said, privately wondering just how much of a role Rumpelstiltskin had played his _own_ story. But such questions could wait.

"Never mind the Dark Ones past machinations" Hook said, "Just hurry up and do it already, Crocodile."

"Wow" David said, "I'm glad to see that my daughter's untimely disappearance hasn't dampened that old pirate ardor."

"I am trying to _save_ Emma!" Hook said, "I thought that was why we all came?"

"You're conveniently forgetting that Cora isn't expecting YOU." David reminded him, "If you try to seduce her she may scream the place down."

"Right, well, that settles that." Hook said, "The Crocodile will just have to do it himself."

"I told you! I am NOT going to _anywhere_ alone with that... woman."

"Why?" Hook asked, "Is that somehow against your sterling moral code, Mister Baby Bargainer?

"What I have with Belle is far too precious to be sullied with the likes of Cora."

"Really?" Hook said, "Well, mate, what would happen if Zelena over there got it in her head to kill _Belle's _mother while she's at it? After all you and she _did_ seem to have a bit of animosity going on... How many years until that child bride of yours is born anyway?"

"About thirty years _before_ your girlfriend actually."

"Hey, his girlfriend's father is right here..."

"You called her my girl-friend!" Hook exclaimed, "Does that mean I have you approval to pay court to your daughter on our return..."

"That means I know how you feel, Hook. Neverland made that pretty obvious. But what Emma wants is what's important and at the moment I'm pretty sure she'd want us to save her life." David looked pleadingly at Rumple, "Please... just... I know this is a lot to ask and you don't have to do _anything _you don't want to, but please...can't you just distract her long enough to ascertain if she's pregnant yet or not?"

"Fine." Rumple conceded, "I'll do it, but not a WORD of this will ever reach Belle. Do you ALL understand?"

"Absolutely" David said, clapping him on the back, "And good luck."

"Yeah, good luck there crocodile" Hook echoed, adding as Rumple turned to walk towards the bar, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do mate! ... or do we need to have a little talk about mommies and daddies first? Because from what Mela said..." Rumple gave Hook a look of warning. "...you ...should have absolutely no problems in that department whatsoever." Hook finished. Deciding teasing The Crocodile could wait for a safer moment.

Rumple straitened his shoulders and turned back towards the bar where Cora was waiting, "Now if you'll excuse me, gentlemen. It seems I have a lady to disappoint..."


	4. In Cora's Bed-Chamber

CHAPTER FOUR - In Cora's Bed-Chamber

Rumpelstiltskin absently paced the tiny room above the tavern in which Cora slept. A room which, judging by the jumbled assembly of clothes and other sundry, was shared by several other serving wenches, possibly taking it in turns as the bed looked too small to accommodate two grown people comfortably. Of course by comfortably he meant not touching one another in the night. An idea that was quite familiar to him from his marriage to Mela. But the end result was that he couldn't single out any one hair he saw laying about the place as definitely being from Cora. There was no other option; he was going to have to get one directly from her head._ If only she would turn her back..._

"My love, why are you so shy?" Cora asked, interrupting the Dark One's ruminations from her place on the bed, "You we not reluctant at all last night." she said rising from the bed and approaching 'Prince Jonathan', "... I'm truly sorry if my enthusiasm embarrassed you in front of your servants..." she reached out and touched him lightly on the chest. He flinched away.

"Sorry, my... dearest Cora." he stammered, "I'm afraid I've been rather distracted lately by matters of state and I simply must step outside for a moment, but..." he hesitated, then slowly raised his hand to brush her cheek, "...don't fret, My dear," he said, surreptitiously collecting a strand of her hair as his thumb drew circles on her cheek, "I'll return to you shortly and... perhaps then we may discuss plans for the wedding..."

The blissful look on Cora's face nauseated him. Rumple slipped out the flimsy door.

######0000

Outside the door he magically produced a vile and dropped the strand of hair in. A simple swirl of magic told him all he needed to know.

_She's... barren?!_ but how could that be? _Magic doesn't lie_. But if she had been barren when he met her for the first time (about two years from now) then he would've noticed when he first drew up the contract for her firstborn. The Dark One simply did not make mistakes like that. Clearly something else was at work here, but what?

A new plan began to form in his mind, a way to stop Zelena and gain repayment from a long held debt. "What a delightful turn of events that would be." he whispered, remembering the amended contract that Cora would sign in two years, a contract that promised him not Cora's firstborn child, but quite specifically _his_ child. He smiled, "Well a deal's a deal after all." He thought of all those years where Cora had believed that she'd won, that she'd outsmarted The Dark One, cheated him out of his child. When the truth would be that he'd gotten that contracted child from her before they'd even met! For the first time in an eternity, Rumpelstiltskin laughed and it was a much more lighthearted Prince who graced Cora's bed that night...


	5. We Need a Plan

CHAPTER FIVE - We need a plan

David, Robin Hood and Hook wait outside the tavern for The Dark One at day break. "Well, what do we tell him?" Hook asked.

"How about the truth?" David said, "It's usually easiest in the end."

"I agree," said Robin.

"Very well then, mate" Hook shrugged, "But if you're going to tell The Dark One that we lost Zelena in the woods, then I'd like to be else ware for that particular exchange."

"The trail just vanished!" Robin protested. "One moment it was there and the next ... nothing. It was not our fault."

"She probably just poofed herself somewhere." David said, being well familiar with the habits of dark mages by now, "and why should _I _have to tell him?"

"He likes you best, mate."

"Oh he does not like me best."

"Oh really?" Hook asked, "Because of the three of us, you definitely have the best relationship with him."

"I don't see how I..."

"The pirate may have a point," Robin said, "After all the first time I met The Dark One he tried to skin me alive."

"He what?!" David exclaimed.

"I _may_ have deserved that in some measure" Robin admitted, "I did break into his castle and steal a magic wand from a being I knew to be maniacal monster. If it wasn't for his good lady, he would've succeeded in his aims."

"And we all know he's always hated me." Hook added.

"You did shot Belle in the back." David reminded him.

Hook shrugged, "Pirate." he in turn reminded Charming.

"She's like the nicest person in the whole town." David shot back, "And I'm married to _Snow White_."

"You shot Belle?!" Robin exclaimed, finally catching up on the plot. "I must agree that was a most ignoble act on your part. The woman is practically a saint. Not only did she save my life; did you know she is teaching my son to read in her spare time?"

"Didn't you steal his first wife too?" David asked, casually piling wood onto the fire.

"I don't remember having to steal _anything_ from Mela" Hook said through gritted teeth.

"You stole the Dark One's _wife_?" exclaimed Robin, "He nearly skinned me alive over a mere wand. I can hardly imagine what violence he would bring on a man who absconded with his wife... how do you still live?"

"He wasn't the dark one back then," Hook said with a swagger, "Just a whimpering old cripple..."

"Oh that makes everything ok..." David mocked.

"Adultery is an offence before God." said Robin, "No honest man would ever engage in such behavior."

"Well I never claimed to be an honest man, now did I?"

"For the record," David said, "I'm filing all this away for later so that I can remember to keep my daughter away from YOU... once I have my daughter back that is."

"Don't think you'll have much luck telling Emma what to do." Hook smirked. "I never do." he stopped smiling, "But the point remains that The Dark One is least likely to kill you for delivering bad news, than either of us."

"I'm not sure Rump...'er, ..._he_ ...likes anyone very much. Other than Belle of course, and who can fathom that one." David said, "But he did come to me for advice once, so ... there's that."

"And you two share the bond of family now through Henry." Robin offered.

"Sounds like someone has been catching up on the Storybrooke gossip." teased Hook. He had to admit it was fun having someone around who knew even less about the 'modern' world than he did.

"What gossip would that be?" Rumple asked, startling the three men into silence.

The men turned to find Rumpelstiltskin had at last emerged from the now silent tavern.

"Dark One." Robin greeted him with a nod.

"We were just wondering if you'd ditched us to go off on your own... again." David quipped, "But really ...what took you so long?"

"As if we didn't know. You old sea-dog you." Hook teased, belatedly retracting the back-slap he'd been about to deliver.

"Did you discover whether Cora is pregnant yet or not?" David asked, wisely stepping between Hook and Rumple.

Rumple sighed despondently, "I'm afraid she is." he said, trying to sound sincere in his disappointment, "It seems we're too late. Dear Cora is already expecting a child."

"Are you sure?" David asked. Rumpelstiltskin gave him a look that clearly said he was. "Quite sure." he replied looking David in the eye, "And quite recently too it would seem."

"Is there nothing you can do to stop it?" Hook asked.

"Stop it?" Rumple queried, "Are we to be reduced to killing babies now?"

"It hardly seems out of your purview..." Hook said.

Rumpelstiltskin raised his hand to his heart in theatrically feigned shock.

"We're not killing anyone" David said firmly, "We need to do this the right way or we will NEVER succeed."

"Oh we'll succeed alright," Rumple said, "But first I need the three of you to do something for me."

"You have a plan, Dark One?" Robin asked. He nodded, "I spent much of the night thinking through our problem and I believe I may have discovered a solution that will satisfy one and all, but, like all good plans, it will take some time and effort on our parts if we are to succeed."

"Just tell us how we can help." David said.

"You see, I don't _need_ your help to stop Zelena, Dearie." Rumpled said, unable to resist adding a the dearie, "But have any of you considered how we'll return home once I've done it?"

"We were rather counting on you for that, mate." Hook said, subtly scratching his face with his hook.

"Look I will gladly remain trapped here if it means my family can be saved..." David began.

Rumple stopped him there, "There no need to martyr yourself, " he said to Charming, "I have a way home..."

"But..." Hook prompted bitterly.

"I shall require your help."

Somehow Hook had known he was going to say that. But really they had very little choice in the matter. "Go on..." the pirate prompted grimly.

Rumple smiled, "You see there is a magic wand which I require..."


	6. Prince Jonathan Revealed

**CHAPTER SIX- Prince Jonathan Revealed**

"What a minute," David said, not quite able to believe what he'd just heard, "You want us to do what now?"

"As I've just finished explaining...I need the three of you to distract my younger self long enough for me to nip into his, or should I say _my_ vault, and collect the wand that we will NEED if we expect to have any chance of getting home. You DO want to go home... don't you?"

"But did we not already decide that it would be best to avoid your younger, less... pleasant self whilst in this land?" Robin Hood queried, after all he was in no hurry to meet The Dark One again. He wasn't even sure _this_ version of him was to be trusted.

"It's absurd is what it is!" Hook broke in angrily, "He knows his younger self will likely kill me on sight. It's probably a bloody trap!"

"Have you already forgotten," Rumple began with irritating calmness, "That you, all of you in fact, are under a _glamour spell_." He looked directly at Hook, "He won't even _recognize_ you and as for the two of _you_," He turned to Hood and Charming, "He hasn't even _met_ you yet. So stop whining," Again he looked at Hook, "and start walking..." he paused to point over Charming's left shoulder, "...that way."

Not satisfied, Hook appealed to Charming, "I'm telling you, this is either a trap or a very bad plan. He..." he pointed his Hook at Rumple, "doesn't care whether we live or die. He's just using us as bait."

Charming silenced the mistrustful pirate, "Let me remind you that we are here for our loved ones." Hook looked like he wanted to protest again so Charming added, "What would Emma do if she was in our shoes? Do you think she would just give up and let all of us cease to exist?" Hook's shoulders dropped and David knew the pirate was back on board whether he liked the plan or not, "If we have to go up against Rump..." Rumple raised a finger to his lips in warning, "...him, then we'll just have to risk it. We've been through worse."

"Well said." said Robin.

Rumple smiled and poofed himself off without waiting for any further arguments. He had a date to keep after all...

He saw him waiting by the road with a bouquet of flowers in his hands and a pleased expression on his face. Rumple smiled. It would seem he'd guessed correctly. Their appearance here wasn't as driven by chance as it might seem. Fate it would appear had this in mind all along. What would happen today had always happened today. He simply hadn't understood his role fully until now. He rolled up his sleeves; it was time to crush Cora's happiness once and for all... he approached the man with the flowers.

"Good evening."

"A very good evening indeed!" the man replied. "I'm going to be married tonight!" he offered, too lost in his own happiness to be cautious.

"Ah, so you must be Prince Jonathan."

"Yes... do I know you? By your clothes I would judge you to be of noble blood, but I'm afraid that don't recognize you."

"Quite all right, _your highness_," Rumple said with a slight (very slight) bow, "My family is a small one, but I like to think we'll cast a large shadow someday."

"I don't understand."

"I bring a message from your love..." 

"A message from my Cora?! Please tell me what she says! Is she ill? Does she need me to come to her aid..."

"Sadly," Rumple said, stopping the Prince's noble speech, "I am the bearer of bad news. You see your Cora has been untrue to you. In fact she eloped with my... brother, just this afternoon. The family is most distressed over the matter and when I overheard her laughing with one of the chambermaids, a most _common_ girl, and telling her all about how she'd duped you and that you were waiting for her here... I can only express my condolences to you on this most... tragic turn of events."

"But... that's not possible!" the prince cried, "Cora swore she would love only me and... and I have additional reasons to be quite sure of her affection. She's a most generous maiden. "

"Yes," Rumple, "Generous indeed, but no maiden, as you well know."

"If Cora and I did wrong, I assure you it was only from the purest of motivations..."

"No doubt my brother also believed this," Rumple continued, quite enjoying his little addition to the fairy tale, "It would seem your virtuous bar-maid had more than one beer on tap."

"I will confront her at once!" Prince Jonathan raged, "I cannot believe how taken in I was by that unfeeling harlot!" The prince threw his flowers on the ground and turned south to return to the tavern.

Rumple stopped him with a thought and drew him unwilling to his side as if by an invisible fishing line. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that... dearie." Rumple smiled in evil satisfaction as Jonathan's handsome face folded into a snout and his body bent down to the ground until he was standing on four hooves.

"Enjoy yourself dearie." Rumple urged the small frightened pig, "I understand the truffles are lovely this time of year, and I understand the lady pigs are far more loyal than your common bar-maid. Now... shoo!" he threw a few sparks of magic at the pig's head to make his point clear and Prince Jonathan trotted off as fast as his four new legs could carry him.

"Well that's one chapter finished." he said, "Now all I have to do is collect a magic wand, capture a witch and convince her to open a portal home." It wouldn't be easy, but it might be rather fun. He smiled wickedly. Oh how he'd missed being bad. "Oh and best not forget Cora." he said, "Got to remember to tie up all those _pesky little details_. It looked like their little trip to the past was going to be rather more _extensive_ then he'd hoped.

######0000

_Two months later..._

"Jonathan. Jonathan! Jonathan, it's me. What happened? It's been two months. My friends said it was a trick, but I said, "No, it must be an accident or a misunderstanding, that I'd find out at the castle. And here you are."

"You are a stubborn one, aren't you?" Rumple said, once again wearing his glamour spell, though this time deliberately covering his features with Prince Jonathan's features, or as he should say,_ former_ features.

"Are you the _gardener_?"

"Well, I'm not Prince Jonathan." at least he was telling the truth there, "Of course, there is no Prince Jonathan." he lied.

"You lied to me! You took my heart... my virtue, my... my good name."

"I took?" he laughed, "You practically forced it into my hands when you thought that I was a prince. A harlot is a harlot."

"I'm with child... I'm going to have a baby. There may be no prince Jonathan, but there is a prince, and how will he feel when I tell him what you've done? Give me enough to support this child. You stole before. Do it again!"

"Yeah, go ahead and tell him. Good luck finding me." he turned to leave, but Cora grabbed him and held on with all her might, "Guards! Guards!" Cora screamed, "There's a scoundrel in the garden! Guards, help me!" hastily Rumple extricated himself from her grasp and shoved her to the ground. Then he pretended to run off so that he could observe the story play out as it always had too.

"Are you all right?" a kind looking man asked, running to her aid, "What happened to you? You were calling for help."

He got away." Cora answered in a monotone, "A bandit on the road. He took everything I had."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Come with me. We'll do everything we can for you."

"There's nothing you can do for me."

"Allow me to try." the man said, offering Cora his hand and to help her to her feet. "I'm Prince Leopold..."


	7. Of Wands and Wizards

CHAPTER SEVEN - Of Wands and Wizards

Charming, Hook and Robin Hood trudged onward towards The Dark One's castle...

"We should be getting quite close." Hood said, "I haven't seen any game in at least an hour and you'll notice the birds have stopped singing."

"Snow says that animals can sense magic in a way that humans can't." David said, "They're drawn in by good magic and repelled by bad."

"Is that why the birds obey her commands?" Hood asked.

"Not really. Snow never had any magic, but I think the animals all just knew instinctively somehow that she was a good person. Maybe they just sniffed out that the bad magic was after her and wanted to help. And anyway she doesn't really order the birds around, they just like carrying messages for some reason."

"Magic was a bit less prominent in my land." Robin said, "But I did observe that the local animals preferred our home under the greenwood to Nottingham. Of course that could be due to the fact that the butcher's shop resided in the city, whist all we had for them to fear was Friar Tuck's insatiable appetite. "

"What about you, Hook?" inquired David, "Do you like animals?"

"I'm really more what you might call a 'people' person." Hook replied.

"Yeah, I've noticed that about you." David said, "So warm and soft and cuddly."

Robin Hood cut off Hook's reply with an upraised arm. "Be still." he said, "The castle is in sight."

"At last." Hook said, "Why didn't he just 'poof' us here anyway?" he complained. "This could've been over hours ago."

"Or conversely, based on your assumption that this is all a trap, you could've been dead hours ago." David said.

"Well there is that." admitted Hook.

"Well gentlemen." said Robin, "How shall we lure the Dark One from his castle?"

######0000

Rumpelstiltskin waited quietly in the woods for his younger self to leave the castle, still enjoying the residual magical charge of turning Prince Jonathan into a pig. He'd forgotten what a heady feeling it could give him. Too bad Storybrooke wasn't more amenable to that particular kind of thing. He could sense the others arrival before he saw them, but he saw no reason to make himself known to them. Best to let them stand on their own six feet.

Rumple slowly and carefully extended his magic into the castle and probed gently for his former self. He could feel him at the wheel spinning ... spinning... spinning. Good. He'll be very angry indeed when they interrupt his spinning. The strong emotion should blind him for a time to what was happening under his very nose. Everything was going according to plan.

######0000

"Rumpelstiltskin." David whispered, cautiously.

"Come on mate." Hook said, "You'll have to do better than that."

"I'm just warming up." he replied, adding a bit more loudly, "Rumpelstiltskin."

The three men stare expectantly at the distant castle.

"Perhaps we should all shout at once?" Robin offered.

"Worth a try." said David, "Ok, guys. On the count of three... one... two... THREE!"

"RUMPELSTILTSKIN!" the three yelled in unison.

"I heard you the first time."

The startled trio turned to find The Dark One standing behind them looking pissed, yet slightly amused. Like a cat who's had his nap interrupted by a mouse.

"Oh, hi... " David said, stepping forward in what he hoped was a friendly manner, "We were 'ah, looking for some help. Some magical help." he finished lamely.

"Oh are you now, are you now." the Dark One sang, pressing hands together and tilting his head.

"Yeah, we need... charms to... ward off an evil witch who has threatened our families."

"Hmmm... sounds like quite the quandary there. Witches are notoriously impossible to please. I'd suggest making out your wills and begging for a quick death." the Dark One said, "But that's not why you're _really_ here is it... dearies."

"I don't know what you're..."

"What made you think you could just walk in here wearing one of MY spells and expect to get away with it!" the Dark One raged. "As for YOU," he turned to Hook, "Did you think I couldn't smell you under any magic... pirate." undoing the glamour spell with a wave of his hand and trapping Hook in a magical choke hold...

######0000

From his hiding place older Rumple smiled, "Well, that should be distracting enough." he said, magically transporting himself into his old vault with a snap of his fingers.

######0000

"Wait!" David pleaded with the younger Rumpelstiltskin as he slowly advanced to stand between the Dark One and Hook, "We really do need your help! Please!"

The Dark One flung him into a tree with a swipe of his hand.

Robin Hood swiftly raised his bow and aimed an arrow strait at the Dark One's dark heart (presuming he'd brought it with him), only to see the arrow freeze in med-air and slowly turn back around towards his own breast. Then suddenly just as the Dark One was about to release the arrow into Hood and fatally tighten his grip on Hook's throat... he paused saying throatily, "...someone is in my vault! ...YOU!" he snarled at the trio, "You're trying to distract me! Did you really think my pleasure in killing you would be enough to hide this from me?!" The Dark One snapped his fingers and instantly the imp and the three men disappeared from the forest as Hood's arrow fell harmlessly to the ground.

######0000

In the vault...

The two Rumpelstiltskins regarded each other, one with unveiled suspicion and while the other looked positively smug.

"Ah... right on time." the older Rumple said. The newly arrived party didn't fail to notice that he was holding a magic wand in one hand and a glowing vial in the other. He turned to David, Hook and Robin, "Don't. Touch. Anything." he told them, not trusting them not to meddle with all the shiny objects he'd kept in his vault.

"This is impossible!" the younger Rumple twittered through clenched teeth. "What foul sorcery is this? Who are you and what makes you think it's alright for _you_ or anyone else..." he eyed the other three men, "to touch my things..." he turned back to the other Rumple, "or wear my face!"

"I _am_ you." Older Rumple said, "And I can prove it." He skillfully tossed the vial to David who caught it easily if a bit hesitantly given its unknown and clearly magical contents, after which he deftly tucked the wand somewhere inside his coat while simultaneously removing the dagger from the same spatially compressed magic pocket.

The younger Rumple went sudden pale in his golden skin, "How did you get that!"

"I told you. I am you. We're one and the same." older Rumple calmly explained, "We came from the future..."

"Impossible. No such magic exists. It is against the very laws of magic in this world."

"And yet..." older Rumple said, "Here we are."

"If you _are_ truly from the future, tell me..."

"I found him." older Rumple answered without needing to hear the rest of the question, "And so will you." he added, trying to hide the pain in his voice at the sudden sharp stab of memory at the all too recent loss of his son.

"I find him..." the younger Rumple began his voice softened to a tender whisper, "Did he forgive me?"

The older Rumple nodded, emotion choking off the affirmative answer he'd been about to utter.

"And you need the black fairy's wand to return to him?"

Again the older Rumple nodded.

"And, how kind" younger Rumple said theatrically placing a hand over his heart, "you've prepared a forgetting potion for me so that my knowledge of this won't have any ...unpleasant effect on the future." he said, looking at the vial in David's hand and magically poofing it into his own. "Very well." he said, apparently having made up his mind, "Take the wand and go before you taint the timeline any further." he said bringing one hand to his head as if it was beginning to ach. "Just tell me one thing, why haven't I killed ...him yet?" he asked pointing his thumb at Hook.

"Time... can give a person new perspective." older Rumple said, "Besides," added in a low sing-song, "there's always tomorrow."

Hook's eyes narrowly slightly, but he wisely decided to stay out of this conversation and instead chose to ignore Rumple's earlier advice and fiddle with some nearby artifacts.

"Ah yes, tomorrow, tomorrow..." the younger Rumple sang, "The spinning wheel of time spins out her threads as she will."

"Wait," David interjected, momentarily forgetting the gravity of their situation, "I thought time was a _delicate flowing river_?"

"A delicate flowing river..." younger Rumple repeated, delicately tasting each word, "I think I like that."

"Great." David said, "Hey, feel free to steal it for future use if you like," he added looking bemusedly at the other Rumple.

Older Rumple rolled his eyes and with a flourish of his hand the four men vanished out of the vault, leaving the younger Rumple alone to drink away his most recent memories...

"...what the hell am I doing in here?" he asked himself looking in annoyance at his vault, when his last memory placed him miles away nudging the ogres off towards King Maurice's kingdom. He poofed himself back to his castle proper and pondered the obvious gap in his memories. Why was he turning the ogres towards Maurice's kingdom? _Why do I do anything?_ _He must possess something which I desire. _Or something that I will desire._ Or possibly something I desired in the past. _Seeing the future can make everything in your life seem a bit... murky.

Rumpelstiltskin crossed to his wheel and slowly began to spin his troubles away...


	8. An Awkward Family Reunion

CHAPTER EIGHT - An Awkward Family Reunion

As for the older Rumpelstiltskin and _his,_ _not so_ merry men, they'd reappeared in the same wooded grove in which they'd first arrived in this tilted timeline.

"Well," David said, deferring to Rumple, "What do we do now?"

Hook interrupted, "Are we just going to gloss over the part about him setting us up back there?" He asked, glaring at Rumple, who appeared to be struggling not to giggle, which was very disconcerting for David who had grown rather used to newer less outwardly manic version of Rumple back in Storybrooke.

"Look we're all still alive_ and_ we got the wand." said David, looking Hook in the eyes, "I don't think fighting over how that happened is going to help us capture Zelena." Hook grumbled something that David chose to take as an agreement to drop the matter, he turned back to Rumple, "So... what now?" he repeated.

Rumple shrugged, "Why do whatever you like, Dearie." he said, "I've no further employment for you ...at the moment." he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture as David appeared likely to protest, "I'm going to be very busy for quite some time trying to unravel and recreate Zelena's time portal so that we can all return home once the witch is 'captured'."

"How much time will you require, Dark One?" Robin asked.

"Oh, well, it's difficult to say really. But at a rough guess I'd say about ... nine months."

"Nine months?!" the others yell, more or less in unison.

"But what about our families?" said David.

"Why nine months?" said Robin.

"What about Zelena?" said Hook, "We can't just let her roam free for all that time!"

"Our families won't know a day has passed when all this is done," song Rumple, adding in a more normal tone (for him anyway), "Nine months is an estimate, remember it took me over a century to plan the dark curse that created Storybrook."

"Yeah thank s for that." said David.

"And as for Zelena..." Rumple continued, "Let _me_ worry about her."

"But what do _we_ do while you're playing around with magic all day?" Hook asked.

"I'd suggest you find jobs." Rumple said, "I shall require several rather ...pricey, ingredients and I won't have time to spin gold for you all day long. Besides," he added, "all that gold appearing in the local shopkeepers' hands could cause us more notice than we'd like, and with Zelena nearby, and I do believe she will stay as close to Cora as possible during her pregnancy... I believe it would be better for _us_ to stay OUT of her way until we're ready to make our move..."

######0000

Nine long months later...

Silence engulfed the land as David watched over his master's flock, he felt strangely peaceful here, despite the circumstances. The flock was stronger and healthier than ever, thanks to him and his master had even raised his salary a little bit. Not that they really needed the money what with the reserves of gold that Rumple had reluctantly spun them... or maybe they did since Hook seemed to drink up most of David's salary these days. Speaking of Hook, David sniffed the air and then turned to greet the pirate as he approached, stinking of rum as usual.

"I bring you great tidings of good food!" Hook slurred, clapping David on the back (fortunately with his hand and not his hook this time).

"I take it Robin had a good hunt today?"

"Indeed, he has. Two rabbits and some kind of bird eggs that he swears are nearly as good as the ones at Granny's."

"That sounds nice," David replied, "But I'm supposed to eat with the boss and his family tonight."

"Ooh, a little family reunion 'eh, mate?"

"Be quiet, Killian." David hissed, "The last thing we need is for you to draw attention to us again. I barely managed to talk our way out of the last blunder you made... what were you thinking telling Jessie that the ogres were going to retreat out of this land and into Maurice's kingdom?! Now everybody thinks you're a fortune teller or something. Or they did."

"Well it was fun for awhile," hooked mused, "All that attention... all those presents. Not to mention the ladies."

"Yes please don't mention the 'ladies' again." David said acidly, "Shame you had to go and ruin your seer gig by telling the village Thane he was destined to marry that 'ripe wench' behind the bar..."

"How was I to know she was his daughter, mate? Besides I could've sworn I'd seen a look pass between them that clearly stated..."

"They were going to _hang_ you if I hadn't told them you'd been kicked in the head by a mule a few years back and hadn't been right in the head since."

"Yes yes, you saved me dancing the hempen jig and I thanked ye for it. At least twice. Now will you please just let it go..." Hook paused, and stared off into the distance, "Uh, oh, Mate, looks like your day just got a little worse. Your grandfather is coming out to visit and it looks like she has something on his mind. Gee I wonder what it could be..."

"Quiet, Hook!" said David as he jumped to his feet and looked for a convenient place to hide. But other than a few sheep and the rock Hook was leaning on, there really weren't any hiding places around. Feeling trapped he squeezed his eyes shut for a few moments and then turned around to greet his employer with a reasonably genuine smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Dryroot." he said as cheerfully as he could manage.

"David, my boy!" the large hearty farmer exclaimed, cheerfully clapping him on the back with unrestrained fondness. "Up bright and early you were again today. My daughter and I can hardly get a look at you these mornings, you're off to the fields so early."

"Just eager to do a good job, Sir." David replied, adding as a change of topic, "You know my friend Killian of course." he vaguely gestured at Hook who waved back with his good hand, keeping the hook out of sight since it tended to make the villagers nervous.

"Er, yes... Killian. Good to see you again." the farmer murmured politely to the pirate, then turning quickly back to David, "The reason I come out here was to ask you back to the house for lunch. My daughter has been baking fresh bread all this morning and it seems a waste not to share it with the best worker we've ever had..."

"You're very kind to think of me, sir." David said, "But, ah, Killian here already _brought_ me my lunch so I could hardly eat another one. And besides," he added, "I was already planning on coming to share a meal with you this evening... or have your plans changed?" David tried his best not to sound too eager to get out of that meal as well. 

"No no," the farmer chuckled, "I just thought things being as they are that you might enjoy a bit 'o time off so that you and my Ruthie..."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." David interrupted.

"Well now, I _had_ thought that you and Ruthie were coming to a sort of understanding..."

_Better tread carefully here_, thought David, "Ruth is a wonderful girl, Sir, but you see, she's ...she's far too young."

"Nonsense." the farmer roared, "Why she's already a year older than her mother was when we was married... God rest her soul."

Privately David wondered if marrying _him_ at fifteen might've been what did Ruth's mother in in the first place. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sir." David said, "But I simply cannot marry your daughter."

"Oh you can't can you?!" the farmer growled, his former friendliness gone, "My girl not good enough for you is she?!"

"Please sir, this has nothing to do with..."

"Well if you're too high and mighty to marry a farmer's daughter than I should think you'd be far to grand to accept his pay or work his farm neither!"

"Sir, I assure you ...I really need this job!"

"I should've known. Always acted so grand and fancy, like you was better than the rest of us, well let me tell you something Mr. Fancypants, no man alive is going to get away with braking my little Ruthie' s heart and if I have to get the magistrate to force you to do the right thing by my girl than I will!" By now the farmer's face had gone deep red and as he stalked off David couldn't help worrying that he'd have a heart attack before he ever reached the magistrate.

For his part Hook was holding back his laughter as best he could until the farmer was out of ear shot, then he let it go with a whoop, "You did go and get yourself into the soup now didn't ya, mate?!" he gasped out between laughs.

"I probably should've just told him I was already married."

"Wouldn't do any good with that lot, mate. He'd want you to produce the wife and prove it and as you..." Hook's voice sobered quickly, " ...know, that's a bit of a problem right now."

"Yeah." David agreed. He looked at Hook, "I don't suppose you _did_ bring me any lunch?"

"Alas, no." Hook said, "But I'm sure Robin Hood will have a lovely rabbit stew ready when you return, which we might as well do right now, seeing as your dinner with the boss seems to have been canceled."

"Great. More rabbit stew." David said with little enthusiasm. "What I wouldn't give for a plate of Granny's lasagna now... you don't suppose Gold will help me out of this mess do you? Say with another glamour spell..."

"I wouldn't count on it, Mate." He hardly ever leaves his room and if you dare to knock on his door he gets very ...tetchy."

"Well maybe we'll be lucky and he'll finally have figured out how to reverse Zelena's time portal."

"It took _Zelena_ decades."

"Well I have faith that Gold can do it quicker."

Hook rolled his eyes, "It took him _centuries_ just to get to _Maine_..."

"Point taken."

######0000

David and Hook were surprised upon their return to find Rumple sitting at the table eating rabbit stew. "Ah, at last." Rumple said, delicately wiping his mouth on a golden napkin, "Took you long enough."

"I'm actually home _early_." David corrected him. "I was just canned."

"Canned? Whatever does that mean and why would you do it?"

"I believe he means to tell us that his employer has terminated his service." Robin offered from his place by the fire.

"YOU got fired over shepherding?"

"Not really." Hook said with an irrepressible grin, "It seems his grandfather is trying to force him to marry his mother."

Rumple tilted his head as if in thought, "You mortals never cease to amaze me with your quaint customs." he said, promptly forgetting all about it. "By the way... we're leaving tonight."

"You finally cracked it?!" David said grasping Rumple by the shoulders.

"I did I did I DID!" Rumple sang gleefully.

"You know how to get us home?" Robin asked.

"Indeed." Rumple said, "But alas, as with all magic..."

"We know, we know." Hook interrupted, "Just tell us the price already..."


	9. Wherein Zelena Gets What She Deserves

**CHAPTER NINE- Wherein Zelena Gets What She Deserves**

A low whistle broke the dreary silence of the old barn and prompted Cora to struggle awkwardly to her swollen feet. "Dorothy? Is that you?" she called nervously.

In answer the barn door opened and was quickly closed again as a tall red-headed woman entered. "Of course it's me Dear." she said, "Who else were you expecting?"

"You're right of course." Cora said, emerging from the shadows clutching a broom as a pitiable weapon against the disgrace of being discovered in her condition.

"Well aren't you glowing for a woman who has hardly seen the sun for three months." the red-head said, "How are you feeling?"

"Well enough." Cora replied, "But the baby has been kicking me black and blue for the past week."

"Perfectly normal, dear. Trust me."

"Did you have fun on your journey?" Cora asked.

"Sadly no." the red-head said with unveiled frustration. "The woman I was seeking was out of town and apparently impossible to track."

"Another woman? Is she ...like me?" Cora asked.

"No no dear, an entirely different matter."

"We all have our secrets it seems."

"Yes. I guess you could say we're rather alike." Cora nodded absently, "No need to fret on my behalf, dear. I have a reliable source that says my prey will be back this way in less than a year... patience is NOT however my strong-suit."

"Mine either." said Cora.

"Besides, I'm being kept busy helping you, dear. What could be more important than that? Speaking of the impending arrival... have you given any thought to what we talked about the last time?"

"I can't keep her, Dorothy. You know that. How will I ever be anything more than what I am now if I have a child hanging onto my skirts? No man wants to raise someone else's child."

Zelena cringed remembering her own foster father in Oz and could hardly disagree, but she tried anyway, "King Leopold is a very kind man, and I'm sure he would forgive you..."

"A_ king_ forgive _a thief_ and _a liar_? I highly doubt that." Cora said, "I never would." she paused as if an idea had suddenly occurred to her, "Why don't you take the baby, Dorothy? You know all about children after all, being a midwife, and I'm sure..."

"What?! No! YOU must raise this child yourself. Can't you see how wonderful motherhood can be? You must raise this child Cora."

"Why?" Cora asked, "I didn't choose this and giving up the child will give _me_ my best chance at a happy life."

"But you're her mother! She needs you! She'll never _stop_ needing you!"

Cora tilted her head looking a bit confused, "She?"

"Just a guess, dear." Zelena kicked herself mentally for losing the practiced calm she'd been cultivating for the last several months as she contrived first to meet her mother and then to gain her trust enough to convince her of the horrible mistake she was about to make. If Cora only knew how strong Zelena was, right from the beginning without having to be taught anything at all...

"This is a hard world," Cora said evenly, breaking into her midwife's increasingly erratic thoughts, "The best gift I have to give to this child is to teach it that early. Perhaps if I had learned that lesson when I was younger than I wouldn't have squandered the first blush of my youth toiling in my drunken father's mill."

Zelena forced on a smile and made a strategic retreat, "Please just consider what I've said," she smiled wider, "You're not the first mother I've tended in ill circumstances and I know from experience that a mother, however strongly she felt at first that abandonment was her only option, has always ALWAYS ...regretted it later."

Cora looked thoughtful, "You sound as though you speak from personal experience rather than professional."

"Not the way you think. I ...I've never had children of my own. But I know if I was ever given the chance to be a mother that I could NEVER give up my child, whatever hardships befell us. We'd face them together."

Cora looked her midwife in the eye and said she'd think about it. But in truth she'd already made her choice.

######0000

"The price," Rumple began, "is a very dangerous one indeed, for as I have discovered the time curse can only be re-cast by the person who cast it in the first place."

"Zelena." David said needlessly.

"Yes."

"Lovely," said Hook, "I don't suppose she's going to just do this for us because we asked her nicely."

"Unlikely." Rumple said, "But this particularly powerful and troublesome witch has a fatal flaw." he paused to enjoy the anxiety of the three men for a moment, then continued, "_Around_ her neck the _witch wears_ a very _speciiialll_ pendant." he said rolling musically over some of the words. A bad habit he'd developed since they came back here. "A very bad decision on her part I must say, and all we need to do is for one of us to get close enough to her to riiiiiip the pendant from her neck, and then ...she will not only be powerless, but I will be able to use her own pendant against her to open the portal back to our time."

"So all we have to do is get within an arm's length of Zelena?" Immediately David went to stand on a chair and retrieve his sword from the rafters.

"Hold on here, mate." Hook said, unwilling to believe that this plan was anything other than suicide, "That witch bested both Emma_ and_ Regina. She can toss grown men around like little rag dolls and as I recall ...you weren't able to defeat her either."

"Only because she had my dagger; a _sacrifice_ I made to hold onto my _dying son_ in the only way I could." Rumple reminded Hook hotly. "Besides which I've asked a friend for some assistance. If all goes well... no violence will be necessary to retrieve Zelena's pendant and this time..." he pulled out his dagger and stroked it gleefully, "She will take it in an entirely different manner."

David gave him a warning look, but chose not to press the matter with so much on the line. Instead he reminded Rumple that Snow's mother Eva would need protection when she returned from whatever royal pilgrimage had kept her out of the kingdom for so long.

"Oh _her_?" Rumple giggled impishly, "On a 'royal pilgrimage' indeed. I _sent _her on that pilgrimage... or hadn't you guessed? And believe me she WILL stay away as long as it takes for us to defeat the wicked witch..."

######0000

"Push, Cora. PUSH!"

"I AM pushing!" Cora gasped angrily between contractions.

"I can see the head!" Zelena cried from her place between Cora's knees, "Here she comes!" Zelena said as she deftly caught the slippery baby and wrapped it in a clean blanket before tying and cutting the umbilical cord with the knife she wore at her waist. _Good thing I learned how to do this back in OZ_. Zelena thought dizzily, _Of course delivering yourself is a good deal more exciting than delivering some munchkin brat for a few coins and a lollipop_. After cleaning the baby as best she could, Zelena laid the baby girl in her mother's arms.

Cora moved languidly as if waking from a particularly bad dream and startled noticeably when she realized what she was holding. "No, Dorothy, I told you, I can't." she pleaded, "I don't want to hold it, just take it away!" Cora looked away from her child and her midwife, hoping neither would see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Hush now." Zelena said, "All your worries are over." she told her mother, reaching for her bag and then dumping in the straw beside the still recumbent Cora. At least a dozen valuable jewels sparkled in the torchlight.

"Where did you get them?!" Cora gasped, "You could buy a small kingdom with that kind of wealth..."

"Exactly." Zelena said eagerly, "And I'm giving them to you ..._and_ to your daughter. The two of you can have the life you always dreamed of..."

"Afraid not, dearie." A familiar voice sang from behind her back.

"What are YOU doing here?!" Zelena growled, readying a ball of magical fire in front of a duly shocked Cora.

Rumpelstiltskin looked her up and down, "Goodness me, but ...ooh," he brushed her face lightly with his right hand and chortled, "So much power... so much rage. I could teach you how to control both." he clapped merrily.

"I don't need any more lessons from _you_."

"More? How can you possibly have more, without having had any in the first place, dearie?" he asked, clacking his tongue scornfully, "I'm sure I would remember schooling such a ...speeeciiial student."

"How can you be here now?" Zelena questioned, "You weren't even supposed to _meet _my mother until next year."

"Look, I have no idea who you are dearie. I can see you've taken a shine to me..." he shrugged, "It happens. But I have no interest whatsoever in meeting your mother... Now if you'll excuse me, I have a deal to complete." Rumpelstiltskin passed Zelena without another glance, keeping his reptilian eyes fixed on the baby.

Cora cradled the baby sadly before addressing the imp. "She'll go to a good family as you promised?"

Rumpelstiltskin placed his right hand lightly over his blackened heart, "A deal's a deal. The child will be well cared for and you shall have everything you desire in the fullness of time."

"You said I would be a queen!"

"And you will." he assured her. "Events are already unfolding towards it..."

"I don't want to wait for events to unfold! I want people to bow when I pass out that door. I want _them_ to tremble when _I_ walk by for a change."

Rumpelstiltskin giggled, "You expected me to build you a kingdom overnight? She's only a baby after all. Even a firstborn isn't worth an entire kingdom."

Cora looked from Rumpelstiltskin then to the pile of jewels her midwife has brought and finally to her newborn daughter. "I want to change the deal." she said.

"No can do dearie." he said producing a long contract which un-scrolled all the way to Cora's feet. "I did ask you if you could read..."

Cora lay back with tears in her eyes, "I guess I should've read it after all. I was just so eager to get what I wanted that I didn't consider the fine print. I'll never make that mistake again."

"Right!" he clapped his hands in glee, "A lesson has been learned indeed and now if you please..." he held out his hands, "the baby."

Cora rose slowly to her knees and started to complete the deal she'd made, but before the exchange could be made Zelena screamed in rage and charged Rumpelstiltskin, who automatically popped himself over two feet which in turn caused Zelena to knock her mother over instead. The baby was unhurt, but nevertheless started to cry and Cora screamed at Zelena to get out as this was none of her concern.

"Please!" Zelena begged Rumpelstiltskin , "Don't take the baby. I'll make you a new deal..."

"I hardly think _you _would have anything of interest to _me_." Rumpelstiltskin said, as he took the infant from Cora. He tickled the newborn under her chin. "Such a speeciiil child. Oh I have such plans for you!" he cried merrily.

"Wait!" Zelena said, "I have powerful magic, there must be something I could trade..."

"Not interested dear."

"I have jewels." she said, stooping to pick them up from beside Cora, "I can take you to a land without magic..."

"I already have plans in motion for that, but nice try. dearie. You're certainly well informed." he raised a finger to his chin as if he'd suddenly had a brilliant idea. "Alright dearie. I'll make you a deal." he said, "I'll give this baby back to her mother ...if you give me what I ask for."

"Anything!"

"In exchange for this apparently highly sought after and very speciiial infant, all I require from you is..." he paused, "That looveeely _pendant_ round your neck."

Zelena's hand flew to the pendant, "Never!"

"Zelena please!" Cora begged, "Just give him what he wants! I never should've made a deal with this imp."

Rumpelstiltskin clutched his heart and pretended to be hurt by her slander. "Make the deal or don't dearie. I could care less." he lied, "Come on poppet," he said to the infant, "I'll show you my castle. I think you'll be especially taken with my dungeon or as I like to call it ...your room." he started walking towards the barn door.

"Wait." Zelena said quietly. Rumpelstiltskin turned to face her, an aggravatingly smug look on his face. "I'll give you the pendant in exchange for the baby," she removed the glowing green pendant from her neck and held it out to Rumpelstiltskin who kept his gaze fixed upon it as he said, "Deal!" he snatched it out her hands and danced around the barn like a mad thing, finally stopped at Cora's feet to lay the babe gently in her arms with a whoop of triumph.

From the door came the sound of slow clapping as the older Rumple glided smoothly through the door to gloat. "I believe you have something for me?" he addressed his younger self.

Rumpelstiltskin smiled and clasped the pendant briefly to his breast, enjoying the surge of power he felt, but after all a deal's a deal and if you can't trust yourself who can you trust... He handed the jewel over if somewhat reluctantly, "A powerful little bauble that." he said. "But not quite as hard to come by as you thought it would be." both Rumple's looked smugly at Zelena who was now virtually powerless. "Now if you'll excuse me," Rumpelstiltskin said, bowing slightly to his older self, "I have a potion waiting for me back home. I do hope there are no nasty side-effects to forgetting potions; I seem to be ingesting an awful lot of them lately." he quipped, poofing out of the barn with a theatrical wave of his hand.

Rumple turned on Zelena.

"You followed me!" she growled, "How?"

"Does it really matter now, dearie?" he asked, "You've been defeated. I'd suggest you face the consequences with dignity... or cry and plead if you want too, it really doesn't matter to me." He put the pendant in his pocket and sealed the fabric shut with magic only his hand could pass through, and then reached into his tunic to extract his dagger, vengeance gleaming in his eyes. He looked at Cora who appeared bewildered by the night's events and sat numbly clutching her baby to her chest. Rumple knocked her unconscious with a swift wave of his free hand. "Don't worry about your mother dearie." he told Zelena, "When she wakes up she won't remember any of this. She'll just remember doing what she'd originally intended to do... abandoning her child to an uncertain fate."

"No!" Zelena sobbed as she cowered against the wall of the barn in obvious fear as Rumple advanced on her, dagger drawn, "We made a deal!" she looked at her infant self asleep in Cora's arms. "You can't send her back to Oz! That wasn't the deal ...it's not fair!" she howled.

"Oh I think that's one deal I can safely break," he said, raising the dagger to strike.

"Stop!" Robin cried as he and the other two time travelers entered the barn.

"I thought I told you to wait outside in case she escaped." Rumple grumbled.

"We thought you might need back-up." Hook smirked.

"Well I don't." Rumple said, once again raising the dagger.

In response Robin raised his crossbow and took aim at Rumple.

"You do realize that can't hurt me?" the dark one reminded the thief.

"Perhaps not, but honor will not allow me to stand by and watch you murder someone. Even her."

"She murdered my son!"

"Then let's take her back with us." David said, "I'll have Regina lock her away somewhere safe." he looked at the still cowering Zelena, "She's no danger to anyone now." he paused, "What would Belle want you to do?"

Rumple lowered the dagger and surprisingly not through Zelena's ribcage. "Not really playing fair today are you, dearie." he said to David as he slipped the dagger back into in tunic.

"I'm just trying to help you to do the right thing." the prince replied. He looked at the sleeping mother and child, "You're not really going to send that baby to Oz are you?"

"It's what happened." Rumple said simply, "Time" he repeated once more, "is a delicate flowing river. If we allow Cora to keep this child then Regina will never be born, as a consequence Snow will die in a riding accident as a child and I won't be able to reach my son in the land without magic."

"Ok, so Cora can't raise this child." David agreed, "But that doesn't mean you have to send her to Oz." he looked at the grown up Zelena, adding, "It clearly wasn't a very healthy environment."

"I'll say." said Zelena, who re-covered her spirits long enough to snatch the knife from her belt and place it on Hook's throat. "Twitch one finger Rumple and I'll slit his throat from ear to ear." Rumple's eyes were cold. "We made a deal. A deal!" she screamed madly, "You have what you want; now give me what I want."

"What's that dear?" Rumple asked, "Because you're hardly in the position to bargain..."

"All I want ...all I've ever wanted, is a family." she said, "...a home ...love! Now give it to me or I'll kill your friend."

"You can't create love with magic, Zelena." Rumple said, "Don't you remember anything I taught you?"

"Don't send her to OZ. Find her a good home with parents who will love her." she pleaded, "That's all I ask."

Rumple laughed at her and she dug the knife tip into Hook's throat deep enough to draw blood.

"For the love of Neptune!" Hook cried.

Rumple smiled, "Oh, poor little Zelena." he mocked, "You really should've chosen a more valuable hostage." with that Rumple whipped the black fairy's wand out of thin air and waved it in one sharp fatal motion... and Zelena was instantly transformed into porcelain.

"No!" David cried, but it was too late. As soon as Hook moved his neck away from the still deathly sharp porcelain knife, what remained of the wicked witch of the west crumbled into dust. David looked away from the grim scene, "You didn't have to do that."

"Would you rather I allowed her to kill Hook?" Rumple asked.

"You certainly didn't seem concerned on that score mate." said Hook bitterly as he rubbed his throat to make sure the knife hadn't done any excessive damage.

"I suppose you want to take the babe back with us so that you and Snow White can raise her as your own?" Rumple said looking at David.

"I'd be willing." David nodded, "And I'm sure Snow would be too." he added.

"Not so fast." Rumple chided the prince, "You're not the only man blessed with a far better woman than he deserves." he went over and gently picked up the sleeping newborn. "Belle..." he said, "has forgiven far worse already. I'm sure she'll be happy to take care of this child. She's always wanted children. I could see it in her eyes whenever I brought a baby home from a deal..."

"Why didn't you just take the babies you peddled strait to the buyer?" Hook asked nastily.

"Because I could tell it made Belle happy when I brought them home with me." he answered honestly.

"How noble of you." Hook mocked.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" David asked, "You and Zelena hated each other so much. How could you ever truly love her as your own child?"

"Well," Rumple said, remembering a certain night fruitfully spent in a tavern barmaid's bed. _How ironic that Zelena had been his all along_, "I think given the circumstances I could give it a try. I have been a father before you know."

"Look how that turned out." Hook said, ducking behind Robin Hood when he saw in Rumple's face that he'd gone too far.

David smiled, "Maybe there's hope for you yet." he said to Rumple. Then looking around the circle at the men he'd been sharing this perilous adventure with, "Well boys," said, "I assume we have everything we need to go home now?"

Rumple nodded.

"And the timeline should be fully restored?"

"Thanks to Regina we made it into the time vortex in time to prevent Zelena from carrying out her plans. She was unable to kill Princess Eva, and now that Cora's life is ...back on track. The delicate river of time should be able to fix the rest. Even without Zelena going to OZ again."

"You're doing the right thing." Robin said, "No child should have to live in a home where they are unloved."

"As it happens, I agree." Rumple said, softly cooing over his daughter before handing her temporarily to Prince Charming so that he could use the wand and what remained of Zelena's essence in the pendant to open the time portal.

David gave the baby back to Rumple and then told Hook and Robin to go first and get swiftly out of the way to avoid a pile-up like the one they'd experienced the first time. Before he and Rumple jumped through he turned and asked, "You're not going to call her Zelena, right? I mean that would just be kind of awkward for everyone."

"I think a little white lie is in order." Rumple agreed, "I'd hate to have to spend my days stopping the good people of Storybrook from taking their hatred of Zelena out on my daughter, who after all is innocent in all this."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Charming nodded, "Maybe even a third or a fourth." he added looking at Rumple. Side by side the two men jumped into the portal.

######0000

The barn door opened once more, this time admitting a weary looking pig who had nudged it open with his snout as he searched mournfully for his lost love. He trudged towards the straw, for the moment seeking for nothing more than a soft place to rest for the night, when suddenly his snout twitched and he squealed in glee at the familiar scent. Forgetting his weariness he trotted over to the still sleeping Cora and placed his snout on her knee. His pig eyes quickly noting the recently shed tears. He snuggled closer to her and fell into a deep and happy sleep.

When Cora stirred and opened her eyes. Her mind felt heavy and Cora struggled to remember where she was and then suddenly she remembered, "My baby..." whispered sadly to the empty air, "I'm so sorry that I couldn't give you the home you deserve, but I had to give myself... my best chance."

The pig lifted his head and tried to tell her who he was, but she couldn't understand him in this form and she wasn't best pleased to find she had been spending the night with a pig. But he was after all a very friendly pig and she was sure her father wouldn't even notice if she brought him home.

"Come on pig." she told the former prince, "Let's go home."

The pig squealed joyously as the two of them walked side by side back to the mill.


	10. Happy Beginnings

**CHAPTER TEN - Happy Beginnings**

The barn was exactly how they'd left it three-quarters of a year ago. The dirt floor still inscribed with Zelena's magic spell and sadly, it was every bit as empty of life as it had been when they left it.

No Snow

No Emma

No Regina

No baby

"Does this mean..." Robin began.

"No." David said, cutting him off, "It worked. It has to have worked." he paused looking around the empty barn, "They're probably all back in town looking for help _or_ it could be that they don't even know anything has happened at all."

"How could they fail to notice," Hook asked, "we've been gone for nine months?! They must think we've all dead."

"No no." Rumple said, his skin back to its human shade. "The magic should've returned us to the exact moment we left. No time should've passed at all."

"Then why aren't our loved ones here to greet us?" Robin asked, "It was here they all disappeared and here I expected them to be when we returned."

"Time travel," said Rumple, "was thought to be impossible until Zelena proved it otherwise. As far as I know we are the only people to have made a journey like this one and I can't be sure of the consequences."

"You never should've brought anyone back with us." Hook said, looking grimly at the baby in Rumple's arms as they began walking towards town, "If Zelena grows up in Storybrook instead of Oz, won't that corrupt this entire timeline?" he asked, "She's going to lead an entirely different life now, which means she'll never have created the time curse in the first place, meaning we should all cease to exist any minute as the time-streams sort themselves out."

David rolled his eyes, "You've been watching too much TV with my daughter." he said, "This is MAGIC we're dealing with, not science-fiction."

Rumple stayed grimly silent, he too had been hoping the missing people would be waiting for them in the barn when they returned.

The town at least was still there and so were the people. As they walked towards Granny's, the most likely place to find anyone in Storybrook, they saw many familiar faces... Dr. Hopper, walking his dog... several scattered dwarves... the lady who runs the ice-cream parlor... but something was clearly wrong. Everyone was staring at them, opening mouthed staring in fact.

Then they saw a commotion in the crowd that had started to gather around them and Belle pushed her way through the mob and threw herself sobbing into Rumple's arms. Rumple deftly transferred the baby to David to keep it from being smothered as Belle clung to him, wetting his clothing through to the skin.

"What's wrong Belle?" he asked, tilting her face up towards him. "How long have I been gone?" his own eyes were beginning to tear-up, unable to abide seeing tears in his Belle's eyes.

"Gone? Rumple you were dead. We all saw you die!" Belle sobbed.

Another voice rose from the gathering crowd as someone else pushed their way through, "Papa?!"

Rumple's heart skipped a beat, "Bae?!"

"Papa!" Baelfire cried, sandwiching Belle in a loving hug between father and son.

"But, son ...you're ...alive." Rumple stammered.

"Thanks to you papa, we're all alive. Don't you remembering how Pan was going to kill us all and you sacrificed your life to save the town?"

"Yes, I remember, but afterwards you..."

"It never happened," David whispered in his ear, "_Zelena_ was the one who tricked Neil into opening the dark vault. Without her interference Neil would never have been able to trade his life for yours. None of that happened."

"I did what now?" Bae asked, overhearing just enough to be curious.

"We did get sent back to the Enchanted Forest by Pan's curse, right?" David asked. Deciding to let Rumple fill Bae in later when they were alone.

"Yeah." Bae answered, "Figured we were good and stuck there too after Belle and I gave up on finding a way to bring you back, Papa. Frankly we were all looking into getting jobs and houses of some kind by the time Snow and Charming figured out how to get us all home."

"We ...cast the dark curse." David remembered that, though he guessed a bit differently now than Snow would. "I guess that means I still have half a heart... speaking of which, where's my wife?" he asked turning to the crowd.

Grumpy stepped out with a cell-phone in his hand. "I just called the hospital to tell her you were here. Where have you been? You do realize you walked out on your wife, who has just given birth to your son, and might just want a little emotional support..."

"Right," David said, passing the baby back to Gold. "Tell her I'll be right there." he took off running for the hospital, happy to have his family back at last.

"Yeah, maybe we should go too, Papa." Bae said, "Emma's and Henry are already there. It would be nice to have the whole family together at last."

"Is Regina there as well?" Robin asked. Hook had already started for the hospital as soon as he'd heard Emma was there.

"Yeah, sure." Bae said.

Robin also took off towards the hospital, desperately hoping that whatever things had changed in this world, Regina's feelings for him would not be one of them.

Belle was already smiling over the baby. "Who is this?" she asked, "I didn't know there were any other newborns in town..."

"Yes, well, you see, Belle, she..." Rumple began, unsure how to explain what actually happened.

"She?" Belle said, smiling even deeper, "Can I hold her?" she asked.

"Of course," Rumple said transferring the baby to Belle's arms, which seemed to make both of them blissfully happy. "Belle..." he began, "This baby, well... she doesn't have a home and I was hoping that you and I could ...that we could adopt her."

"Is that a proposal, Rumple?" Belle asked with a shy grin.

"Only if you want it to be, love." he answered, he still couldn't believe a wonderful woman like Belle would want him.

Belle nodded happily and they kissed to seal the bargain and as they walked to the hospital they made plans for an impromptu wedding. The adoption would create no trouble for Gold. Any doors that magic couldn't open, money would. And it wasn't as if anyone would be looking for this child. Bae would be his best man and Belle quickly offered Emma as her maid of honor, which pleased Baelfire. Henry was probably a little old to be ring-bearer, but they figured he wouldn't mind.

At the hospital all seemed well, Snow was glowing with new motherhood and she and David had clearly patched up whatever glitches the recent timeline shift had thrown between them. Hook leaned morosely in the corner feeling like a third wheel as Neil greeted Emma in what appeared to be a very warm fashion indeed, while Robin and Regina were sitting outside in the hall, sipping coffee as he quietly filled her in on what just happened to the four of them.

Later Snow and Belle discussed baby names, the first offered were Colette for Bell's mother and Leopold after Snow's father (Snow was actually relieved that they would longer be naming their son Rumpelstiltskin since the original wasn't dead anymore - however that happened), while Rumple tried to persuade Bae to move into his 'rather large estate' as he had plenty of room for him, for Henry and for... anyone else who might need to find a different living arrangement, say now that her parents had a newborn...

Bae was so happy to have his papa back from the dead that he agreed to try it out, but not for 'awhile', he added, remembering the upcoming wedding and assuming the newlyweds might want a little privacy. No house was that big.

Emma asked Rumple if marrying him was like marrying Santa Clause, "You know will, she (Belle) become immortal too once you two are married?"

"Well..." Rumple began...

######0000

Months later after all the fuss had died down the four time-travelers met for a quiet drink in Gold's study, after having helped moved Bae & Emma's meager possessions into the mansion. Henry had come too, though he was basically living in all three houses now that his grandpa (guess which one) had created a magic door in his room that let him pass from his bedroom at grandpa Gold's house to his old bedrooms in his other grandparents apartment and his mom's house. The family figured this would be especially helpful during the holidays, though Regina insisted that the door be coded so that only _Henry_ could pass through it into her house.

As for Regina, she and Robin weren't married yet, but everyone expected an announcement any day.

The babies Leo and Colette were healthy and happy. Colette's obvious magical nature had been impossible to hide due to the sheer precociousness of her magic which frequently caused trees to blossom in the dead of winter and fireworks to go off in the sky when she was especially happy. Leo wasn't magical in the slightest, despite being the product of true love, _but it was early days yet_. Rumple thought looking at Emma, whose own powers had only surfaced later in life. He looked at baby Colette who giggled and her hands out for her papa to pick her up.

All in all, time really had been kind to him.

Maybe a villain _could_ get a happy ending after all?

And they did. They all lived happily ever after. Really they did. Though there had been that little spot of trouble with the woman who ran the ice-cream parlor...

THE END


End file.
